Though the term 'cloud' is often used, the definition of what actually constitutes a private cloud is debatable for some. Server virtualization, from VMware and other vendors, is technology that has been around for a decade, but simply running a virtualized server infrastructure doesn't equate to having a private cloud deployment.

In a video interview, Bill Hilf, vice president of product management for HP Cloud, discusses what defines a private cloud. HP is now pushing its vision for cloud with its Helion OpenStack cloud platform that was first announced in May with $1 billion of backing.

"In my opinion, a private cloud, or any cloud, has a set of characteristics that make it unique from just virtualization," Hilf said.

Speed and agility are a the top of Hilf's list, as is economics and how self-service is enabled. In many cases, when HP is selling private cloud solutions they are selling to a base of customers that are already using VMware server virtualization solutions.

Watch the full video with Bill Hilf below:

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at Datamation and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist

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